Which practice is best for preventing food contamination?

Good personal hygiene and proper food handling techniques are critical to preventing food contamination. This practice encompasses a range of behaviors designed to ensure that food remains safe throughout the handling and preparation process.

Maintaining good personal hygiene, such as regular handwashing with soap and water, ensures that harmful bacteria and germs are not transferred from hands to food. Additionally, proper food handling techniques include using clean utensils, avoiding cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods, and storing food at the correct temperatures. Together, these practices create a safe environment for food preparation and significantly reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses.

Other practices, such as using any available utensils or washing hands occasionally, do not guarantee a reduction in contamination risks. The choice to not prepare food in advance does not inherently prevent contamination; rather, it depends on how the food is handled during preparation. Thus, the emphasis on personal hygiene and food handling techniques is the most effective approach to ensuring food safety.